HBO confirms 'Game of Thrones' theory on Jon Snow's parentage

June 30, 2016

Warning: This article contains spoilers from season six, episode 10 of Game of Thrones.

Fans were sent into a frenzy by the shocking events of the Game of Thronesseason
six finale, from Cersei's reclaiming the Iron Throne after a
well-planned massacre to Arya finally exacting revenge on Walder Frey
for the Red Wedding. It's safe to say episode 10 of season six had it's
fair share of jaw-dropping moments.

However, the most revelatory moment of the episode was when it was revealed that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) isn't Ned Stark's son, but is actually the child of Ned's sister, Lyanna.

In the flashback clip, Ned's sister says to him: "His name is [inaudible]. If Robert finds out he'll kill him, you know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me Ned," before Ned is handed a baby boy who is revealed to be Jon.

Although this confirmed a widely circulated rumour that Jon Snow was actually the child of Lyanna Stark, the TV show did not reveal who Jon Snow's real father was, although it is strongly hinted to be Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenery's older brother who supposedly kidnapped Lyanna, sparking the war which ended with King Robert taking the Iron Throne.

However, HBO has now confirmed that Rhaegar is indeed Jon Snow's true parent after sharing a chart on their website which shows how various characters are linked to each other, with Rhaeger clearly connected to Jon as his father.

The show's finale finally confirmed that Jon is actually Ned's sister's son

So what does this mean for the new King in the North, Jon Snow? It is hinted throughout the novels and in the TV show that Rhaegar and Lyanna were actually in love, and may have married. Should this be the case, it would give Jon the strongest legitimate claim to the Iron Throne, above that of Daenerys Targaryen, should he find out the truth about his parentage.

Speculation is now rife for what Jon's 'real' name is, as although it isn't possible to hear what Lyanna says, the name was significantly longer than 'Jon.'

One fan of the show suggested it could be 'Jaeharys,' explaining on Reddit: "I'm not a great lip-reader, but I'm fairly certain what she says is Jaehaerys… If Lyanna was in love with Rhaegar (as seems likely), it makes sense for their son to have a Targaryen traditional name like his siblings Aegon and Rhaenys. Jaehaerys would be a good pick as the name isn't associated with any real negative connotations, like Aerys, Maegor, etc."

HELLO! Canada magazine is available for your tablet and smartphone. Get HELLO! Canada, PEOPLE, Vanity Fair and over 100 more of the world’s best magazines for one low monthly price at Texture by Next Issue. CLICK HERE to sign up for a free trial.